Things I Don't like to Admit:

5. I spend too much time worrying about what people think of me (even though I say I don't) or anticipating the next petty accusation my excessively needy friend is going to hurl at me... Any time is too much time!

4. I'm really, really afraid something will happen to my husband and my son and I would have to rebulid a life without him.

3. I wish my in-laws would take more of an interest in our life...

2. I'm not entirely sure that I buy that a man and a woman can "just be friends"

1. When I'm with the group of people that we socialize with on a regular basis, sometimes I'll look around and ask myself, "Are these really my friends?", as in both "OH MY GOD" and "Would they still stand by us if we didn't have the life we do?"

You know you're getting old when...

5. Your once-favorite, once-trendy sushi restaurant/bar where you and your friends used to hang out has gotten skeezy and gross and you have better alcohol at home

4. None of your current friends can stay out past 9 since they have to relieve the babysitter and/or grandparents, but that's okay because you were getting pretty tired anyway

3. The cigarette smoke that you once inhaled second-hand weekend after weekend now gets on your nerves

2. You tuck your comfy shoes in your car in case you have to walk somewhere

1. The music is too loud

Now that sounds like some wholesome fun...

photo by wardomatic

Top Five Ways Being a Parent Changed Me... or not

Top Five Things that have changed about my life, but not really

5. Still movin' and groovin' to those bass-bumping dance beats, except now it's at 5 am at the gym instead of 1 am with my girls.

4. My husband and I still have regular date nights, except we prefer our nights in over our nights out any day.

3. I can talk to anyone. I always have and still can, but there is just something about having kids that allows you to relate to other people on a whole new level. I can bond with any parent instantly over the most mundane thing my kid just did.

2. I've always had voracious and wide interest in the world, but for the first time, I actually think about something (someone) beyond myself.

1. I find something positive in every day. I still do, except now I find that my greatest joy is in watching my son discover each new day...

Do you think I can stop at just "five"?

Do you remember the movie "High Fidelity"?

Based on the novel of the same name, the movie follows the "quarter-life" crisis of a thirty-something record-store owner who has to face the fact that he's growing up.

It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but the things I remember most about it are the ongoing discussion about "mix tapes" and the main character's top five lists. As I recall, he had top five lists for everything.

Something reminded of this movie recently and it sparked an idea... I should start coming up with own top five lists and post them here.

Besides, I haven't made a mix tape since junior high, maybe even grade school... I guess the kids have iTunes for that now.

Just like with everything related to this blog, it's purely for my entertainment, but I certainly hope you will enjoy them as well.

Here's one to get you started...

The top five best days of my life:

5. The day I realized that I didn't have to be "pre-med" if I didn't really want to be. I went on to graduate with a psychology degree which I actually enjoyed earning...

4. The first day of Spring semester sophomore year of college. My plane landed in Roma, Italia and I was about to start my studies aboard. With that first whiff of cigarette smoke and diesel fuel, I knew that I would never be the same again.

3. The day I handed my resignation to my ungrateful supervisor at my thankless, first (post-college) ad agency job a mere NINE hours before we lost the account I worked on. Is that timing or what?

2. My wedding day. It was almost worth the fourteen months of hell... er, planning. Seeing my husband grinning at that altar made it perfect... After that, I stopped caring about "who said what" or worrying about "what went wrong".

1. Nothing tops an entire day of LABOR, followed by major surgery. Yup, I'm talking about the day my son was born. Every day since then has just gotten better and better.